Norman residents will present the results of a month-long petition to turn the vote on the Rock Creek Entertainment District to the public at city hall on Thursday morning.
According to a press release from Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development, a nonprofit organization formed to give community members a say in economic development decisions for the city, petitioners and members from will present their results in front of city hall at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
“All Norman neighbors are invited to gather and celebrate this accomplishment,” the statement reads.
The petition intends to create a referendum to turn Rock Creek Entertainment District — which was approved by Norman City Council 5-4 around 1 a.m. on Sept. 18 — to the public. According to ORED’s website, the referendum would occur on Feb. 11, during the next regular municipal election.
ORED filed the petition on Sept. 20 and has since set up six petition sites across Norman, including Yellow Dog Coffee Company, STASH, Green Feather Book Company, Alameda Market & Tackle, B & B Liquor Market and Westside Library.
Oklahoma law states petitioners have 30 days to collect and submit signatures following the passage of legislation. Tiffany Vrska, chief communications officer for the city of Norman, told OU Daily that ORED has until Oct. 18 to collect 6,098 signatures.
Russell Rice, co-founder of ORED, told OU Daily last week that petitioners are on track to surpass their goal. He added he could not disclose the number of signatures.
“As long as we keep getting signatures the way that we have, we’ll be successful,” Rice said. “It’s been a nonstop stream of people … everybody wants their voice to be heard.”
Cynthia Rogers, OU economics professor and a founding member of ORED, told OU Daily she gathered over 200 signatures herself as of Oct. 7. She said her main priority working with ORED is to educate residents about the district’s tax increment finance model.
City council’s vote to approve the Rock Creek Entertainment District created two tax increment finance districts in the University North Park area, which allocate tax revenue generated within an area to economic development. ORED’s website states the organization is opposed to the TIF model, not economic growth or the OU arena.
“Usually, these things split so they just take part of the growth, but (the TIF) will take all of the growth,” Rogers said. “It takes this tax revenue and puts it in a ‘no touching’ fund, so the city and the county and the schools can’t use that tax revenue growth.”
According to Rogers, the district would also shift economic activity away from businesses that already increase tax revenue for the city.
“It’s attracting activity to the TIF, which is not taxed, (and) it hurts your city services and your county services and your school funding by doing that,” Rogers said. “We’re literally shifting where basketball is played. The anchor activity in the arena is OU men’s basketball, which already happens in Norman — not a new thing.”
Ward 7 Councilmember Stephen Tyler Holman, who voted against the entertainment district, said he has supported a referendum “since day one.”
The day after council approved the district, Holman announced his candidacy for mayor. While the entertainment district did not directly influence his decision to run, Holman said the public should vote on the project due to its potential impact to the city’s general fund and the long-term commitment of city finances.
“This is just one of many big issues that Norman has to deal with,” Holman said. “The best way to resolve this issue for good is for there to be a public vote on the matter.”
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure and Ana Barboza. Natalie Armour and Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
